PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Duquesne basketball announced they will open their season in Louisville in late November to early December.
Dukes will be a part of the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic held at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center. Duquesne won’t play the Cardinals, rather games against UNC Greensboro, Winthrop and Little Rock, two of the three finished first in their conference last season.
Duquesne is one of only three teams who will play three games, starting with UNCG (23-9 in last year) on Sunday, November 29, then Winthrop (24-10 last year) on Tuesday, December 1 and Little Rock (21-10 last year) on Thursday, December 3.
"We're excited to be part of the field and look forward to facing three quality opponents," said fourth-year Duquesne head coach Keith Dambrot in a statement released by the school. "We'll be playing a pair of defending conference champions in Winthrop and Little Rock - and a third team that won 23 games in UNCG. All three programs are talented, well-coached and have a winning pedigree. It will be a great early-season test for our team."
The teams will practice within the bubble of Louisville’s home court and a full court that will be installed at a grand ballroom of a local hotel. Teams can also use the weight room and training facilities at the University of Louisville.
"Scheduling changes from day-to-day, almost hour-to-hour," said Dambrot. "We are happy to have this opportunity. The University of Louisville has put together a very competitive field, but most importantly, they have the health and well-being of the participating teams at the forefront."